Deutsches Reich 1939 German Personalities -- Martin Luther

DEUTSCHES REICHPOST, during the Third Reich, published a series of propaganda postcard/postal stationery of German personalities in October 1939. Six postcards were  issued, featuring Martin Luther, Heinrich I, Frederick the Great, Ulrich von Hutten, Otto von Bismarck and Carl Peters. The postmark cancellation  on this Martin Luther postcard originated from Leinefelde, Thuringia and is dated 7 November 1939.

The Nazi regime, from 1933 till its demise in 1945, annually issued a series of propaganda/postal stationery postcards that highlighted current events, heritage, personalities and landmarks in Germany. The one shown here depicted not only an image of Martin Luther, but also highlighted an inspirational quote attributed to him, which would have been consistent with  Nazi ideology.

The caption -- as near as I can tell -- states, 'Ich suche nicht das Meine, fondern allein bes ganze Deutschlands Glück und feil" (I'm not looking for what's mine alone, but rather the whole of Germany's happiness and trustworthiness). Whether Luther actually said it or it was taken out of context from his writings, I do not know.

His translation of the Bible into the German vernacular (instead of Latin) made it more accessible to the laity, an event that had a tremendous impact on both the church and German culture. It fostered the development of a standard version of the German language, for which the Nazis would have deemed him a true patriot.

Similarly, in two of his later works, Luther expressed antagonistic views towards Jews, which would have played well with Nazi  doctrine. His rhetoric was not directed at Jews alone, but also towards Roman Catholics, Anabaptists, and nontrinitarian Christians.

Martin Luther (10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German professor of theology, composer, priest, monk, and a seminal figure in the Protestant Reformation -- most famously known for posting his "Ninety-Five Theses".

Luther initially sent the "Theses" enclosed with a letter to Albert of Brandenburg, Archbishop of Mainz, on 31 October 1517, a date now considered the start of the Reformation and commemorated annually as Reformation Day. Luther may have also posted the Ninety-five Theses on the door of All Saints' Church and other churches in Wittenberg—in accordance with University custom—on 31 October or in mid-November. The "Theses" were quickly reprinted and translated, and distributed throughout Germany and Europe.  Luther's ecclesiastical superiors had him tried for heresy, which culminated in his excommunication from the Catholic Church in 1521.